Naval Research Laboratory

The Naval Facilities Engineering Command constructed of a 22,000 sq. ft. Nano Science Research Laboratory (NSRL) on the campus of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. The building design included fourteen (14) Imaging Rooms intended to house a variety of advanced, state-of-the-art SEM/TEM and other microscopes. The building’s EMI threat specifications required that ambient stray magnetic fields could not exceed 0.3 mG in each of the fourteen (14) Imaging Rooms once the building was completed and occupied.

FMS was engaged from the NSRL project’s beginning by Coakley Williams, the Navy’s design & build contractor, to ensure that design and construction of the NSRL building met the required < 0.3 mG stray magnetic field EMI threshold requirement in the fourteen (14) Imaging Rooms. During the schematic design phase of the building an extensive broadband Electromagnetic survey of the planned site was conducted by FMS to characterize existing EMI conditions

This was a unique and highly successful project as FMS was able to achieve the desired 0.3 mG threshold in the fourteen (14) Imaging Suites entirely by the diligent recommendation and implementation of design and construction techniques (spatial mitigation planning) known to minimize stray field conditions. As a consequence, supplemental shielding and other mitigation measures were not required to reduce magnetic fields to the target levels, despite close proximity of high current electrical circuits and equipment to a number of the Imaging Rooms.

Throughout the project, FMS continually reviewed all phases of the project’s design and construction documents and advised the project’s design team of potential EMI threat concerns and recommended mitigation measures. Computer simulations were utilized to characterize EMF emissions from electrical equipment and to develop mitigation recommendations.

FMS EXPERIENCE

Over its 20 years, FMS has successfully completed hundreds of EMI projects which included a diverse range of consulting and mitigation services.